Research on Preventing R. equi on Endemic Horse Farms

Researchers from Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences and practitioners from Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Saratoga Springs, New York, worked together on this project designed to better prevent R. equi foal pneumonia on endemic farms. 

As background, the researchers stated that transfusion of plasma hyperimmune against Rhodococcus equi (REHIP) is used to reduce the incidence of foal pneumonia caused by R. equi on endemic farms, but the optimal volume to transfuse is unknown.

Their objectives were to determine whether transfusion of 2 L of REHIP to foals was superior to transfusion of 1 L for reducing the incidence of foal pneumonia attributed to R. equi.

“Medical records of 158 foals from two breeding farms in Saratoga Springs, New York, were reviewed,” stated the researchers. “Information collected from mares and foals included the date of birth, volume of REHIP transfused to foals, and whether the foal developed pneumonia attributed to R. equi. Data were analyzed using random‐effects logistic regression with pneumonia as the outcome variable and farm modeled as a random effect to account for clustering of foals within farm.”

The researchers summarized from this study that, “Transfusion with 2 liters of hyperimmune plasma is superior to transfusion of 1 liter for protecting foals against pneumonia attributed to Rhodococcus equi.”

This study was titled, “Transfusion with 2 litres of hyperimmune plasma is superior to transfusion of 1 litre for protecting foals against pneumonia attributed to Rhodococcus equi.” The authors were P. Flores‐Ahlschwede and S. Ahlschwede of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Saratoga, Saratoga Springs, New York; and S. K. Kahn, A. I. Bordin and N. D. Cohen of the Equine Infectious Disease Laboratory, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University.

To read or access the complete article from Equine Veterinary Education visit the Wiley Online Library.